Forty Thousand Horsemen
Encyclopedia
Forty Thousand Horsemen (aka. 40,000 Horsemen) is a 1940 Australia
n war film directed by Charles Chauvel. The film tells the story of the Australian Light Horse cavalry which operated in the desert at the Sinai and Palestine Campaign
during World War I
. It follows the adventures of three rowdy heroes in fighting and romance. The film culminates at the Battle of Beersheba which is reputedly "the last successful cavalry charge in history". The film was clearly a propaganda weapon, to aid in recruitment and lift the pride of Australians at home during World War II.
, south of Sydney
, with interiors shot in the Cinesound studios at Bondi. Joe Valli
reprised his Scottish cariciture from Pat Hanna
's Digger Shows.
.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n war film directed by Charles Chauvel. The film tells the story of the Australian Light Horse cavalry which operated in the desert at the Sinai and Palestine Campaign
Sinai and Palestine Campaign
The Sinai and Palestine Campaigns took place in the Middle Eastern Theatre of World War I. A series of battles were fought between British Empire, German Empire and Ottoman Empire forces from 26 January 1915 to 31 October 1918, when the Armistice of Mudros was signed between the Ottoman Empire and...
during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. It follows the adventures of three rowdy heroes in fighting and romance. The film culminates at the Battle of Beersheba which is reputedly "the last successful cavalry charge in history". The film was clearly a propaganda weapon, to aid in recruitment and lift the pride of Australians at home during World War II.
Production
Filming commenced in 1938 on the Cronulla sand dunesCronulla sand dunes, Kurnell Peninsula
The Cronulla sand dunes are located on the Kurnell Peninsula in the local government area of Sutherland Shire, Sydney Australia.The Cronulla sand dunes are a protected area that became listed on the NSW State Heritage Register on 26 September 2003.-History:...
, south of Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, with interiors shot in the Cinesound studios at Bondi. Joe Valli
Joe Valli
Joe Valli was a Scottish actor, who worked for many years in Australian vaudeville and film. He had a long-running vaudeville partnership with Pat Hanna, Chic and Joe.- Selected filmography :* Diggers * Waltzing Matilda...
reprised his Scottish cariciture from Pat Hanna
Pat Hanna
Pat Hanna born George Patrick Hanna 18 March 1888 Whitianga New Zealand died 24 October 1973 Ampthill, Bedfordshire England was a New Zealand soldier of the First World War who entertained postwar audiences with Digger travelling stage shows and films....
's Digger Shows.
Release
The film was a massive success at the box office, being seen by 287,000 in Sydney alone during a ten week run on first release. It was released in the USA by Sherman S. Krellberg for Monogram PicturesMonogram Pictures
Monogram Pictures Corporation is a Hollywood studio that produced and released films, most on low budgets, between 1931 and 1953, when the firm completed a transition to the name Allied Artists Pictures Corporation. Monogram is considered a leader among the smaller studios sometimes referred to...
.
Cast
- Grant TaylorGrant taylorGrant Taylor is a professional skateboarder who grew up in Atlanta, Georgia. He is the son of former professional skateboarder Thomas Taylor. He began skating at an early age and turned pro in 2009...
as Red Gallagher - Betty Bryant as Juliette
- Pat TwohillPat TwohillPat Twohill was a New Zealand actor and radio announcer who worked extensively in Australian film, radio and theatre. He is best known for his role in the classic war film in Forty Thousand Horsemen...
as Larry - Chips RaffertyChips RaffertyChips Rafferty MBE was an iconic Australian actor. Called "the living symbol of the typical Australian", Rafferty's career stretched from the 1940s until his death in 1971, and during this time he performed regularly in major Australian feature films as well as appearing in British and American...
as Jim - Eric Reiman as Von Schiller
- Harvey Adams as Von Hausen
- Betty Bryant as Juliet Rouget
- Joe ValliJoe ValliJoe Valli was a Scottish actor, who worked for many years in Australian vaudeville and film. He had a long-running vaudeville partnership with Pat Hanna, Chic and Joe.- Selected filmography :* Diggers * Waltzing Matilda...
as Scotty - Albert C. Winn as Sheik Abu
External links
- NYT review, published: 15 August 1941